02/20/2014

Kasich backs off fracking in state parks - for now

Ohio Gov. John Kasich has - at least for now - backed off the idea of allowing the oil and gas industry to perform hydraulic fracturing of shale bedrock, aka "fracking," in state parks.

It's yet to be seen how much of a reversal this is from Kasich's earlier stated position, when he said he would allow that sort of drilling on state-owned public lands.

Gov. John Kasich.. Credit: Associated Press

There's some belief it's more an issue of timing, for staff time it would take to meet arduous deadlines over rule-making and to screen members for a review board.

Or, perhaps, it's a controversy Kasich decided not to take on as his re-election campaign hits full stride.

Kasich's spokesman, Rob Nichols, did not rule out the possibility of this issue being revisited down the road.

"At this point, the governor doesn't support fracking in state parks," Nichols said. "We reserve the right to revisit that, but it's not what he wants to do right now and that's been his position for the past year and a half."

From a logistics standpoint, the announcement may have little immediate effect on the oil and gas industry's plans.

Fracking itself has existed in Ohio for 60 years.

What's new is how it has been combined with an advanced drilling technique that allows multiple drills to fan out horizontally from a single wellhead, almost like a spider web.

A fracking operation in Colorado. Credit: Associated Press

That has opened up the possibility of tapping into previously inaccessible reserves of oil and natural gas globally.

Eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania together form one of North America's hotspots for that sort of exploration. Utica shale is predominantly in eastern Ohio and Marcellus shale is mostly in western Pennsylvania, with some overlap.

This sort of drilling's been under way in Pennsylvania for a while, but is expected to hit its stride and remain strong in Ohio for the next 25 to 30 years.

Translation: The industry has a lot of sites other than state parks to explore this year.

Kasich's announcement is a huge decision statewide and for the Great Lakes region.

Locally, though, it probably means little for Maumee Bay State Park because it doesn't have the best geology for fracking as it is.

A popular spot for beach fun, Maumee Bay State Park is likely unaffected either way. Blade file photo.

Enviros are giving the guv predictable back-handed compliments.

Dave Scott, Sierra Club president, said it "seems Governor Kasich is coming to his senses."

"The governor now admits that the 'regulatory structure' is not 'mature' enough to allow fracking in Ohio's parks. We agree. But the Sierra Club and our 2.4 million members and supporters understand that what is too dangerous for our parks is too dangerous for our backyards or other public lands," Scott said.

Environment Ohio said it was responding with "tentative optimism" while urging Kasich to declare a fracking moratorium on state-owned lands.

“From Hocking Hills to Salt Fork, Ohio’s parks are some of the best places the Buckeye State has to offer. The last place we should be fracking is in our state parks and forests,” Christian Adams, the group's state associate, said.

“We welcome Governor Kasich’s change on heart on this issue, and urge him to protect Ohioans by declaring a moratorium on dirty drilling in our state parks and forests,” he said.

The industry's chief lobbying group in Ohio, the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, maintains fracking can be done safely and with minimal impact to the environment.

An international agency that represents the industry has implored oil and gas companies not to take shortcuts, pointing out that the industry's reputation and potential for more development is at stake.

Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers and other opponents remain upset about a marketing plan the Ohio Department of Natural Resources put together 18 months ago to help soothe the public's concerns about fracking on state-owned land. Some are attempting to draw correlations between the controversy surrounding it and Kasich's announcement.

Nichols told the Columbus Dispatch the 10-page memo from August 2012 had nothing to do with Kasich's decision.

Comments

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What? Of course it was the memo. This announcement happened all of the sudden one week after press coverage on the memo went national. He was trying to prevent getting caught up in a scandal like Chris Christie. Why else would the Governor have been talking about it to begin with?

His administration was so on notice about the sensitivity of this issue that he then avoided the "frack" word in his state of the state altogether.

This isn't just a correlation - it's plain cause and effect.

Interesting that you just took Rob Nichols' word for it and wrote it off.

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About Ripple Effect

Every pollution battle ultimately comes down to mankind's desire to better itself while protecting its sense of home. In this blog, Blade Staff Writer Tom Henry looks at how Great Lakes energy-environmental issues have a ripple effect on our public health, our natural resources, our economy, our psychological well-being, and our homespun pride.

About Tom Henry

Tom Henry is an award-winning journalist who has covered primarily energy and environmental issues the past two decades. He is a member of the national Society of Environmental Journalists, one of North America's largest journalism groups.